GM Cwethan's Test of TarKuata (Outpost) (Inactive)

Game Master Cwethan

Kelumur is perplexed by the curious sighting. "What has gotten to those horses?"

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14+2 for hidden

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

"That steam here is the result of some volcanic fumes." Eirwen muses "They're mildly acidic, but shouldn't be immediately harmful. Can imagine the horses would get sick from the exposure."

Once at the threshold of the mine, Kali focuses a moment to deaden her skin to pain (barkskin Ki Power).

.....

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

"Never mind them, what's THAT under that mine cart?"

perception 3 nature 19

Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (10) + 17 = 27

Skivven pretends to not see the creature.

Bluff to lie: 1d20 + 10 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 + 10 = 34

Skivven then turns invisible and tells the others, "Don't moooove! I will deelz with the tiny creaturez..."

While invisible he draws his small sap and approaches the creature stealthily...

Stealth, Invisible: 1d20 + 17 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 17 + 10 = 29

The creature clearly understands Kali and Skivven, for as they warn the rest of the party, it reacts as well!

Kitani
Creepy Spider Thing
Kelumur
Skivven - Invisible
Kali
Eirwen
Rhiannon
Horses

Perception Skill Check DRR: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

A look of concern crosses Rhiannon's features when Eirwen speaks. "We should find a way to free the poor beasts, so that they can get away from these... what was that, Kali?" The paladin is slow to react when the creepy, spider-like creature suddenly makes itself known.

I will post after the spider thing moves.

Kitani casta magic missile to the beast
nature/dungeon: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
magic missile: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
magic missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
magic missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Kitani's bolts tear apart the awful creature into a pile of unpleasant parts.

Kitani
Kelumur
Skivven - Invisible
Kali
Eirwen
Rhiannon
Horses

Knowledge (Religion)?: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

So...what's even left to do?

Kali looks at what's left of the spider-beast, then over at the sickly horses.

"Damn it, Kitani, I'm a nun, not a squire!"

Eirwen takes a closer look at the spider-creature. "What a curious little thing... Was it an alarm measure of some kind?"

Knowledge(nature): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Knowledge(arcana, dungeoneering, religion or planes): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Skivven cuts the horses' leads with his tailblade and frees them. Still invisible for 4 rounds he investigate the carts stealthily and jumps in the front cart to peer carefully down the path to the south...

Perception vs. Traps within 10ft., Trapspotter: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (1) + 18 = 19
Perception vs. Stealth Foes, Danger Sense: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26
Stealth, Invisible, Normal Speed: 1d20 + 17 + 20 - 5 ⇒ (1) + 17 + 20 - 5 = 33

Is there a slope for the carts to roll down from? is there a brake mechanism holding them in place? please tell me we're going for a ride! :) :) :)

Rhiannon sees the horses suddenly freed as their leads are cut out of thin air, and she smiles as she realizes that Skivven has gone invisible. Giving the horses a wide berth, she moves toward the mine entrance.

Move 40' toward mine entrance giving the horses as much distance as possible. I'm thinking the paladin's Detect Evil requires an object or person to focus on, so that won't be useful in this instance.

You can do unfocused detect evils as per the spell with a 60-foot cone! at will! as a standard action! (the focused ones are icing on the cake, as they can be done in someone's face as a move action spell like ability i.e. no verbal, no somatic, no focus required... they just see your eyes glow or something i.e. aware of magic but that's it unless they have spellcraft.)

Kelumur watches the madness silently, unsure what to make for it.

Kelumur will delay.

Sorry guys, hectic day, fleeing horses and cart rides tomorrow. Also, Skivven is correct about the Detect Evil options

Ah, thanks for that! I never before realized I could use that ability as an either/or (the spell or the move action) until I just now reread the ability description. That's kinda cool!

Once in front of the mine passage headed south, Rhiannon calls upon her divine gifts to detect for the presence of evil in the darkness ahead, or if anything is hidden nearby, out of sight.

ill send pinzitas to check zone
perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

The horses storm out of the cavern in a clatter of hooves, leaving silence in their wake.

It seems that there are two ways out of this entrance, the very steep track that the mine carts sit on, or the elevator towards the west of the chamber.

The carts can be raised and lowered using the windlass at the top of the tunnel, though Skivven's keen eye notes that unless you put at least a pint of oil to good use, they'll be squealing like crazy the whole way.

No one is certain exactly what the creature was, but Kali notes that it looks like a typical depiction of Rovagug, the Rough Beast.

However, aside from the tiny monster, no one is able to spot any further foes.

What's the white square downslope? Edit: what the... heck is that scorpion-looking thing on the map now?

Rhiannon has no plans to ride a mine cart down a steep track clad in heavy armor. Though the elevator runs only a very close second place to that idea. The paladin sighs and moves toward the elevator, to see if it seems safe enough to use. "Can someone with knowledge of engineering take a look at this with me?" Rhiannon asks sweetly.

No idea, but Rhiannon is headed that way...

It doesn't represent anything - just a weird artifact of the map as extracted from the scenario :/

The elevator is currently inoperable, though someone good with machinery might be able to repair it...
Disable Device or and appropriate Craft/Profession roll if you like

Kitani try to remenber some concepts of theorical engineering that she probably learned at biblio
knowledge engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Kelumur approaches the elevator, "I may not understand engineering, but I may be able to decipher this." He removes his tools from his backpack and begin to work on the contraction.

Disable Device, Mwk Thieves tools: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (10) + 17 = 27 -2 if tools are not appropriate.

kitani explain kelumur what he need to repair elevator

add +5 to disable device

With Kitani's aid, Kelumur is able to get the elevator working again after about a minute of work.

As you descend into the mines, the already unpleasantly acrid steam grows thicker and the air grows stiflingly hot. Too long in this and you'll be taking fortitude saves!

Visually the mine is fairly standard, except that is for the metal tower that occupies most of the space and pushes against the fractured ceiling...

Skivven cautiously investigates forward, sticking to the shadows and motioning to the others to cover their light sources... Darkvision 60ft.; moving at half-speed

Stealth: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (10) + 17 = 27
Perc.Trapspotter @10ft. distance: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (19) + 18 = 37
Perc.Danger Sense vs. hidden foes: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (14) + 17 = 31

Rhiannon stays just behind Skivven, lighting the way with her pathfinder. Her own elvish-born vision still requires some amount of light, after all. The paladin is already sweating freely under her heavy armor and she knows that they had best find these Doomknights and take care of them quickly.

I'm not seeing the map link anymore. We had one, didn't we?

Map is up top!

"Wait. We don't want the light to give away our position, perhaps Skivven and I could check ahead." The rogue motions for the majority of the group to hold as he and Skivven moves down one of the paths.

Stealth: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28 +3 for traps, +2 for hidden.

Suggest we put our rogues to good use!

Up close it's clear that this tower is a recent addition, and from the looks of the ceiling, an unstable one. Inside the tower you can hear the murmur of voices, but you're unable to make out any specific words...

Just to be clear re: lighting. There are torches along the wall, though they gutter in the steam, providing very little light. It's dim at best, though you're still able to stealth.

Thanks! Not sure how I missed seeing that link yesterday when I've used it before, must have been tired...

"Just don't get too far ahead. If you run into trouble, I'm not terribly fast." Rhiannon murmurs to Kelumur as he moves past her.

Thanks for heads-up on the lighting. We still have a couple humans in the group that will need more light, so Rhiannon will keep the wayfinder on. It is attached to her belt pouch, so as to keep her hands free.

Kelemur slowly approaches to inspect the murmurs coming from the odd looking tower.

Ditto for Skivven.

Kitani send her familiar to inspect zone
stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

At the noise done by the creature, Skivven raise a clawed finger to his mouth to shush Kitani's familiar, and motions for Kitani to keep her pet with her.

The murmuring sounds like some sort of mantra. Individual words are still hard to make out through the thick walls, but it sounds similar to some of the chanting you heard at the monastery.

Is there a way to get in to the tower? or is it just walls.

There is a small door with no visible lock.

Skivven investigates...

ill move to corner to protect rogues with spells if were necessary

If we're unable to figure anything out, suggest to just go down one of the unexplored paths. Have moved Kelumur.

Unable to make sense of the tower, Kelumur signals Skivven to follow him down the closest path. Using the cover of darkness, they attempt to disappear out of sight.

Stealth: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27 +3 for trap, +2 for hidden

I'm waiting for the GM to catch up I'm not going anywhere

Skivven, You're unable to open the door from this side.

Kelumur, creeping forward, you discover a messy campsite set up against a wall covered in shaggy filaments. The torches here are unlit, so you're only able to see via darkvision, but amidst the clutter you do still spy an iron case with an obvious lock.

Assuming he sees no hostiles in the immediate area.

After taking a quick look around the campsite, Kelumur returns to the group to divulge his findings. "It would seem that it's safe ahead, there is a campsite with no occupants, there amidst there is an iron case, I'm going to attempt to open it should there be clues."

Once everyone has gathered.. will pick the lock.

Disable, Mwk Thieves Tools: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34

Skivven goes around the steel structure to check the other side.

There's just the one door; up near where the tower hits the ceiling there are some arrow slits, however.

Before Kelumur makes it all the way over to the iron case, he's able to see four heavily armored warriors waiting in the other room. They keep casting suspicious glances at the mine tracks, as though awaiting someone.

They each bear symbols that look an awful lot like that horrible spider thing Kitani killed near the entrance.

Skivven climbs up to the arrowslits and looks down inside.

Can he fit through the arrowslits?

Kelumur returns and relays his findings to the group, with a very detailed description of the armored warriors. "It is possible to avoid them completely through the outer route. I believe it would still be prudent to check the Iron case." The half orc suggest.

"...Where is Skivven?"

You're pretty small... Possibly, with a suitable Escape Artist check

Skivven can see a rather unthreatening group of people inside the fortress. More than anything they look hungry. The one leading them in their mantra, however, is more martially built; unsurprising, as he also bears the tattoos of an Ouat monk!

"Pssst! looookupp! overheeerre! we'rrr-heeeerr'to--hayylpp! buttbeee-kwayyyet!!! dooyoono-awwwayoutoff-dissplaysss?" whispers Skivven, waving at them.